Method of making a durable press garment

ABSTRACT

A durable press garment is made by cutting and assembling the garment from a cellulose fiber-containing fabric, pressing the garment to impart a suitable crease thereto, applying a liquid impregnant containing all constituents for giving the garment durable press characteristics upon subsequent heating, said application of liquid impregnant being performed without significantly disturbing the pressed condition of the garment, then drying the impregnated garment under normal atmospheric conditions, re-pressing the garment without curing the impregnant to eliminate any wrinkles which may have formed therein and to touch up the crease, and heating of the garment at about 200* 350*F. to cure the creaseproofing agent.

Lord

[ Dec. 18, 1973 METHOD OF MAKING A DURABLE PRESS GARMENT [75] Inventor:John Garvin Lord, Swarthmore, Pa.

[73] Assignee: Cotton, Incorporated, New York,

[22] Filed: Feb. 16, 1972 [21] AppL No.: 226,987

Related U.S. Application Data [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No.826,277, May 20,

1969, Pat. No. 3,656,246.

[52] U.S. Cl. 38/144 [51] Int. Cl D06m 13/54 [58] Field of Search 2/243;38/144; 223/70; 8/116, 116.3, 115.7, 116.4, 120

[56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 3,341,955 9/1967 Pyke et a1.38/144 2,974,432 3/1961 Warnock et a1. 38/144 3,333,747 8/1967 Glover223/70 Lendle 223/70 Lord 38/144 Primary Examiner-Geo. V. LarkinAttorney-Peter H. Smolka et a1.

[57] ABSTRACT A durable press garment is made by cutting and assemblingthe garment from a cellulose fiber-containing fabric, pressing thegarment to impart a suitable crease thereto, applying a liquidimpregnant containirig all constituents for giving the garment durablepress characteristics upon subsequent heating, said application ofliquid impregnant being performed without significantly disturbing thepressed condition of the garment, then drying the impregnated garmentunder normal atmospheric conditions, re-pressing the garment withoutcuring the impregnant to eliminate any wrinkles which may have formedtherein and to touch up the crease, and heating of the garment at about200 350F. to cure the creaseproofing agent.

8 Claims, No Drawings METHOD OF MAKING A DURABLE PRESS mislocated creaseduring the simultaneous pressing- GARMENT curing step.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This is a continuation-in-part of myearlier application Ser. No. 826,277 filed May 20, 1969, and entitledMethod of Making a Durable Press Garment Which may be Conducted in theHome, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,656,246.

BACKGROUND In the rapidly expanding field of durable press garments madefrom cellulose fiber-containing fabrics, there is presently nosatisfactory method of making such garments which is adaptable for useby a house wife to impart wrinkle-resistant, crease-retentive andwash/wear properties to dresses, skirts, blouses and the like which shehas made from cotton, rayon, linen and other cellulose fiber-containingfabrics.

According to one prior art process, a garment is produced by cutting andassembling fabric which has been pre-impregnated with a creaseproofingagent, but not cured; imparting creases to the garment made from thefabric; and then baking the garment in an oven to effect the finalcuring of the creaseproofing agent. This method is unsuitable for use bya housewife for several reasons. The treated fabrics tend to curepartially when stored for extended periods, the chemicals often give offnoxious odors and the chemicals can be accidentally washed off.

Another commercial process is performed with fabrics which areimpregnated and cured in the flat state at a finishing plant. However,because such fabrics cannot effectively be creased, garments whichrequire creases cannot be made from them. Such fabrics are alsodifficult to sew, and excessive fullness cannot be ironed in.

It has been proposed to produce durable press garments within the homeby soaking the assembled garment with a chemical solution to effect itsimpregnation, removing the excess chemical solution until the garment isdamp, and then ironing the garment to cure the creasproofing agent. Thismethod is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,950,553. There areseveral practical problems which make this process undesirable. The mostnotable difficulty is that the ironing of the damp impregnated garmentresults in the release of offensive odors. Further, this particularmethod relies on the ironing step to effect the curing operation. Theproper locations of creases are not well defined before the pressingstep, and a mislocated crease may inadvertently be permanently formed inthe fabric. Also, since ironing is used to eliminate wrinkles and impartthe crease during the curing step, the heat of the iron will produce atleast a partial curing of the fabric before the wrinkles are entirelyeliminated or the crease is fully impressed. This unavoidable partialcuring naturally detracts from the ultimate smoothness andcreasedefinition in the completed garment.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,440,198 discloses a method wherein the fabric isimmersed in the impregnant solution, drain dried while completely flatuntil it is dry to the touch and then ironed, with the iron being firmlyapplied in those regions where creases or pleats are desired. As in thepreviously mentioned method of U.S. Pat. No. 2,950,553, this process mayproduce a permanently My earlier application Ser. No. 826,277, now U.S.Pat. No. 3,656,246 the entirety of which is incorporated herein byreference, disclosed and claimed a process which may be performedentirely in the home by utilizing a relatively low temperature of aboutF.200F. for the curing step which gives the garment its durable pressproperties. This earlier application mentions that if suitable equipmentis available, the curing step may be at higher temperatures and forreduced periods of time.

The process described in this specification is also intended for use bythe housewife, with most steps being performed in the home. However, forthe final step, it is expected that the garment would be taken to acommercial establishment and placed in a chamber which is heated totemperatures of about 200F.350F. until the impregnant cures to give thegarment durable press properties. Heating chambers of this type may becoinoperated units located at dry cleaning establishments, coin-operatedlaundries or retail stores which cater to home seamstresses.

SUMMARY Basically, this invention involves the making of a du-. rablepress garment from a knit, woven or nonwoven cellulose-fiber containingfabric by pressing an assembled garment to impart at least one creasethereto, impregnating the garment with a liquid impregnant whichcontains all constituents for giving the garment durable pressproperties upon subsequent heating, said impregnating step beingperformed without substantially disturbing the pressed condition of thegarment, drying the impregnated garment without curing thecreaseproofing agent, and heating the impregnated garment to about200F.350F. to cure the impregnant and give the garment durable pressproperties. This basic approach differs from the prior art by includingthe pre-impregnation pressing step which provides an initial definitionof the creases. Such creases may be located in trouser legs, shirtsleeves, or at seams or hems where the garment fabric is folded backupon itself.

In conjunction with the basic concept outlined above, the inventioncomtemplates drying the garment to a point where offensive odors willnot be created by the creaseproofing agent upon pressing. The dryingstep is preferably performed under normal atmospheric conditions whilesupporting the garment on a clothes hanger or other form which iscontoured to the shape of a portion of the garment, so that the loss ofcreases and creation of wrinkles will be minimized during the dryingstep. If desired, drying'may be performed under non-atmosphericconditions at controlled conditions of temperature and humidity. Also,it is preferred that the impregnation be performed while supporting thegarment on a form by spraying the garment with the liquid impregnant.

Another important feature of the invention involves a touch-up pressingoperation which is performed after the impregnated garment is dried andbefore the curing step. This provides a more positive definition of thecreases and a further elimination of the wrinkles in the fabric.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As explained previously, thisinvention involves a method of making a durable press garment whichincludes the steps of pressing an assembled garment to form at least onecrease therein, impregnating the garment with a liquid impregnant whichcontains all constituents for giving the garment durable pressproperties upon subsequent heating, said impregnating step beingperformed without substantially disturbing the pressed condition of thegarment, permitting the garment to dry and then heating the garment tocure the creaseproofmg agent. Preferably, but not essentially, theprocess may also include one or more of the following steps:

a. theinitial fabrication of the garment by cutting and sewing togethersuitable pieces of fabric;

b. performing the impregnating step by supporting I the garment on aform contoured to the shape of a portion of the garment and spraying theimpregnating liquid on to the garment;

c. supporting the garment on a form contoured to the shape of a portionof the garment while performing the drying step under normal atmospherictemperv atures and pressures;

d. re-pressing the garment after the drying step and before the curingoperation; and

e. curing the resin impregnant by heating the garment to about200F.350F. in a chamber wherein the garment is supported in unwrinkledcondition on a stationary support.

it is to be understood that when reference is made to a garment hereinit is meant that the garment is formed from a cellulose fiber-containingfabric which is susceptible to treatment with a chemical creaseproofingagent. Curing of the impregnant on the garment impartswrinkle-resistant, crease-retentive and wash/wear properties to thegarment. Examples of such fabrics are cottom, rayon, linen or the likeand blends containing these fibers.

The creaseproofing agentsused in conjunction with in fabricating thegarment. Representative creaseproofing agents are described in US. Pat.Nos. 3,166,765;

3,197,790; 3,372,404; and, the above mentioned US. Pat. No; 2,950,553,all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Numerous advantages occur from various steps in the process,independently of and collectively with the other steps. For example, thespraying operation permits a visual evaluation of the amount of liquidthe fabric so that excessive liquid will not be sprayed on and wasted.Spraying also eliminates the necessity of extracting excess liquid bywringing or spin drying, and the inherent disadvantages of suchextraction which stem from (a) a lack of control over the amount ofliquid' remaining inthe fabric, (b) the loss of the extracted liquid,and (c) introduction of wrinkles caused by wringing. More importantly,the spraying step permits the impregnation without significantlywrinkling the garment or disturbing its creases.

Other methods may prove. to be suitable for applying the durable pressimpregnant to the garment provided that they do not significantly impairthe pressed condition of the garment. Possibly the impregnant may beEXAMPLE I A cotton garment is made by cutting the pieces of fabric andassembling them by sewing. The liquid impregnant was prepared by mixingthe following constituents:

1. 19 ounces of dihydroxy dimethylol ethylene urea,

a non-hydrolysable glyoxal derivative sold under the name Permafresh 77by Sun Chemical Com- 2. 4 ounces of zinc nitrate hexahydrate, a metallicsalt complex containing zinc and sold under the name Catalyst X4 by SunChemical Company;

3. 4 ounces of a polyethylene emulsion, non-ionic wetting agent soldunder the name Mykon SF Softener by Sun Chemical Company; and

4. Water to make 1 gallon.

The garment is initially pressed to remove wrinkles and to impartcreases thereto. The garment is supported on a clothes hanger andsprayedwith the solution described above to fill the interstices of thefabric,

but without excessive run-off.

The garment while supported on the hanger is permitted to dry at roomtemperature and pressure until its moisture content by weight is in therange of 3-8 percent.

The garment is removed from the hanger and is given touch up ironingwith an iron having a temperature of 150,250F. which is insufficient tocure the resin to 40 any significant extent. This post-impregnationironing step smooths the fabric and emphasizes the creases.

The garment may then be taken to an establishment which has a curingunit with a heating chamber which maintains a temperature of about200250F. The garment is placed in the heated chamber until theimpregnant is cured to provide the garment with durable pressproperties. The time of heating may vary, but about 15 to 30 minuteswill usually suffice.

The completed garment is found to have excellent shape retention,dimensional stability, smoothness and crease. retention after beingsubjected to repeated washings in an automatic washing machine.

EXAMPLE n The process ,described in Example I was performed impregnationironing step. The other steps of the process were performed in themanner described in Example l, and the resultant product was found tohave excellent smoothness and crease retention properties;

EXAMPLE lll This experiment was performed similarly to Example I, butthe drying step was terminated prematurely when the fabric was stilldamp. Upon being re-pressed, offensive odors wer given off. Thesmoothness of the fabric was slightly less than that produced accordingto Example I, but the crease retention properties were identical.

EXAMPLE IV The process of this example differs from that of Example Ionly in the respect that the garment is immersed in the creaseproofingimpregnant while supported on a hanger, is spin extracted, air dried andthen subjected to the touch-up ironing step. The garment so produced hada smoothness significantly less than the produced according to ExamplesI and III; however, the crease retention properties were the same.

EXAMPLE V The procedures followed in this example differ from Example Ionly in the respect that the garment is immersed in the impregnant andhand squeezed before being air dried and subjected to the touch-upironing. As in the immediately preceding example, the smoothness wasconsiderably less than was attained in Example I.

From the foregoing examples, it will be appreciated that the importanceof this invention is largely tied to the concept of initially pressingthe garment before impregnating it with a resin-containing solution. Thepartiuclar manner in which the liquid is applied and dried and themanner of touching up the garment and then curing it are believed to beimportant contributing factors to the satisfactory operation of thedisclosed process.

I claim:

1. The method for making a durable press garment from a cellulosefiber-containing material whereby said garment has wrinkle-resistant,crease-retentive and wash/wear properties imparted thereto, comprisingthe steps of:

a. pressing the garment to impart a crease thereto,

and supporting the garment in its pressed condition,

b. impregnating the supported garment with a liquid creaseproofingcomposition for giving the garment wrinkle-resistant, crease-retentiveand wash/wear properties upon subsequent heating,

0. drying the impregnated garment without curing the creaseproofingcomposition while supporting said garment in its pressed condition, and

d. heating the supported, dried, impregnated garment to a temperature ofabout 200F 350F for a time sufficient to give the garmentwrinkel-resistant, crease-retentive and wash/wear properties.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the garment is selected fromthe group consisting of rayon, cotton, blends containing cotton andblends containing rayon, and wherein the drying step c reduces themoisture content of said garment below l5 percent by weight of thegarment.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein the drying step c isperformed at normal atmospheric temperatures and pressures whilesupporting the garment from a form contoured to the shape of a portionof the garment.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein, between steps 0 and d, thegarment is re-pressed to remove wrinkles and touch-up said creasewithout substantially causing the creaseproofing composition to give thewrinkle-resistant, crease-retentive and washlwear properties, andwherein the garment is selected from the group consisting of rayon,cotton, blends containing cotton and blends containing rayon.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein the drying step c reduces themoisture content of said garment below 15 percent by weight of thegarment, and wherein the drying step c is performed at normalatmospheric termperatures and pressures while supporting the garmentfrom a from contoured to the shape of a portion of the garment.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the impregnating step isperformed by spraying the liquid creaseproofing composition on thepressed garment.

7. The method according to claim 6 wherein, between steps c and d thegarment is re-pressed to remove wrinkles and touch-up said creasewithout substantially causing the creaseproofing composition to give thewrinkle-resistant, crease-retentive and wash/wear properties, andwherein the drying step 0 reduces the moisture content of said garmentbelow 15 percent by weight of the garment.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein the garment is selected fromthe group consisting of rayon, cotton, blends containing cotton andblends containing rayon, and wherein the drying step c is performed atnormal atmospheric temperatures and pressures while supporting thegarment from a form contoured to the shape of a portion of the garment.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION 3,778,913 December18, 1973 Patent No. Dated Invent0r(s) John Garvin Lord It is certifiedthat error appears in the above-identified patent and that said LettersPatent are hereby corrected as shown below:

IN THE CLAIMS Column 6, line 2, change "wrinkel" to wrinkle Column 6,line 28, change "from" (second occurrence) to form w Signed and sealedthis 16th day of April 197M.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLE'I 'CHER,JR. G. MARSHALL DANN Attesting Officer a v ACommissioner of Patents F O RM PO-1050 (10-69) USCOMM-PC UO376-P69 IfU.S. GOVERNMENT PIFINTING OFHFI l9" 0-86-8SL

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the garment is selected fromthe group consisting of rayon, cotton, blends containing cotton andblends containing rayon, and wherein the drying step c reduces themoisture content of said garment below 15 percent by weight of thegarment.
 3. The method according to claim 2 wherein the drying step c isperformed at normal atmospheric temperatures and pressures whilesupporting the garment from a form contoured to the shape of a portionof the garment.
 4. The method according to claim 1 wherein, betweensteps c and d, the garment is re-pressed to remove wrinkles and touch-upsaid crease without substantially causing the creaseproofing compositionto give the wrinkle-resistant, crease-retentive and wash/wearproperties, and wherein the garment is selected from the groupconsisting of rayon, cotton, blends containing cotton and blendscontaining rayon.
 5. The method according to claim 4 wherein the dryingstep c reduces the moisture content of said garment below 15 percent byweight of the garment, and wherein the drying step c is performed atnormal atmospheric termperatures and pressures while supporting thegarment from a from contoured to the shape of a portion of the garment.6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the impregnating step isperformed by spraying the liquid creaseproofing composition on thepressed garment.
 7. The method according to claim 6 wherein, betweensteps c and d the garment is re-pressed to remove wrinkles and touch-upsaid crease without substantially causing the creaseproofing compositionto give the wrinkle-resistant, crease-retentive and wash/wearproperties, and wherein the drying step c reduces the moisture contentof said garment below 15 percent by weight of the garment.
 8. The methodaccording to claim 7 wherein the garment is selected from the groupconsisting of rayon, cotton, blends containing cotton and blendscontaining rayon, and wherein the drying step c is performed at normalatmospheric temperatures and pressures while supporting the garment froma form contoured to the shape of a portion of the garment.